


Burning Bright Like Stars

by painted_lady12



Series: Our Hearts Beat as One [4]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Blade of Marmora Keith (Voltron), Blow Jobs, Boys Kissing, Confessions, Dissociation, Fluff, Galra Keith (Voltron), Gay Sex, Gay in Space, Hermaphrodite Galra, Hurt Keith (Voltron), I delve into that a bit here, Idiots in Love, Infertility, It's buried at the end but it's there, Keith (Voltron) Needs a Hug, Keith/Lance (Voltron) Angst, M/M, Near Death Experiences, Panic Attacks, Self-Lubrication, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, that time that Keith almost sacrificed himself and everyone blinked and it was over
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-20
Updated: 2019-06-20
Packaged: 2020-05-15 14:39:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19297795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/painted_lady12/pseuds/painted_lady12
Summary: There was something eerily quiet about the few milliseconds that Keith used to make his decision.  The communication lines, the rumble of the engine, and the alarms going off from damage to the ship all faded until he was alone contemplating a very important question.What was worth more?His life, or the life of everyone within the blast radius?Them versus me?He knew, though.  He knew what he needed to do.





	Burning Bright Like Stars

**Author's Note:**

> *cough* *cough* *shuffles note cards*
> 
> "Did you want something traumatizing and wholesome at the same time? Did you want your hearts to be ripped out and stomped on, then given a big kiss, sprinkle some fairy dust, and throw it back in, good as new? No? Well, here. Take it anyway"
> 
> Can I just say how insane it is to me that this series of fics is 15 months old? That's over a year. This fic is that age that hipsters love saying their babies are. 
> 
> "How old is your fanfic series?" 
> 
> "15 months!" 
> 
> "JUST SAY ONE YEARS OLD KAREN"
> 
> .........anyway, this fic has actually been written for some time, I just needed to edit and post.
> 
> As usual, I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender

There was something eerily quiet about the few milliseconds that Keith used to make his decision.  The communication lines, the rumble of the engine, and the alarms going off from damage to the ship all faded until he was alone contemplating a very important question.

 

What was worth more?

 

His life, or the life of everyone within the blast radius?

 

_Them versus me_?

 

When people talk about this decision in theory, most will always choose to save everyone else.  It seems like a no-brainer on the surface, right? It’s simple math.

 

There will always be the few on the other side of the fence, though, who choose themselves.  Keith has never considered himself one of those people.

 

Theory was very different than reality.  Keith’s chest hurt with the amount of fear coursing through his heart.  It was adrenaline, and cortisol, and all the other hormones that told Keith with sharp finality that this couldn’t be the end.  His body was rejecting his choice as he made it, gathering a lump in his throat, making his hands shake with fear.

 

He knew, though.  He knew what he needed to do.  

 

So he turned around to gather speed and told Matt about his plan to save everyone by crashing into the shield.  Everything after that was static. Keith closed his eyes.

 

He thought back to all the happiest moments in his life.  He thought back to Shiro helping him stay in the Garrison, and Adam and him staying up late to watch horror movies together.  He thought of fishing with his dad, and cooking with Hunk, and playing cards with Coran and the other paladins.

 

Then it was Lance, always Lance.  It was him and Lance laying under the stars in the projection room.  It was Lance standing in front of a purple ocean on a planet they saved, just breathing in the smell.  It was holding each other tight enough to bruise. It was the flutter of his heart before they kissed whenever Lance would flirt, and it was the aftermath of that kiss when Keith realized that he could hope.  

 

It wasn’t just Keith, anymore.  The two of them were entwined.

 

Lance was in every nook and cranny, every crevice and crack.  Keith didn’t even realize that there were parts of him missing until Lance came along and finished the puzzle.

 

There, as he was about to run headfirst into the Galra shield, Keith realized that Lance had helped him become complete.

 

If he was going to die, he might as well do it now.  If he was going to die, he wanted to die knowing that Lance still loved him no matter what.

 

Then through all the static a gentle thrumming sound made Keith’s brow furrow as he tried to concentrate on it, before he realized that it was his necklace.  

 

The thumping was almost alarming in speed.  It was Lance, of course. His heart had been jackhammering this whole battle, but right now there was an extra edge of fear.  He must think that they aren’t going to make it, and that they’re all going to die.

 

If Lance could hear him, Keith would say softly, “Don’t worry, baby, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

 

Then just before he reached the shield there was an explosion.

 

Voices were coming from all sides, some of them congratulating him on his success, but…

 

...he had to pull up and away from the explosion as it took out the ship, and his mind was starting to go numb.  He told Voltron that it wasn’t him, it was Lotor. His voice was robotic as it relayed the information. Then, his shaky finger turned off outgoing communications so that he could scream.

 

The feeling inside of him was a clawing emptiness.  It was almost like he wanted to die. It was almost like he was _disappointed_.  That can’t be true, though, right?  Of course he didn’t want to die!

 

That’s when Lotor’s voice started transmitting.

 

Keith listened in stunned silence, arms crossed in front of him bruisingly tight.  

 

He wasn’t dead.

 

He wasn’t dead.

 

He wasn’t dead.

 

***

 

When he rendezvoused with the Castle of Lions, Keith got out of his ship and proceeded quietly and quickly to a nearby bathroom, where he threw up.

 

Due to the high stress nature of the day he hadn’t eaten much in hours, so his stomach clenched and spasmed when it didn’t have anything to bring back up.

 

So instead Keith just sat on the hanger bathroom floor.  His hands had fallen to the ground uselessly, palms up to the ceiling.

 

Time passed.  It could have been seconds, minutes, or hours.  He’d clicked off his in-suit communicator while still in his ship.  The walls around him were zooming in and out of his field of vision.  The only thing keeping time for him was the high pace of Lance’s heartbeat.  

 

Apparently the other man hadn’t calmed down yet.

 

The low light in the bathroom was suddenly interrupted as the door opened.  Keith couldn’t move, couldn’t turn to look. He was frozen where he was, not registering that there was someone in the room until a hand was on his arm.

 

A voice was speaking, but instead of words the sound was more of an echoing series of grunts.  Was it a member of the coalition that didn’t speak English? No, they all had translators, so Keith should have been able to understand them no matter what.

 

Then he was shaking, and in panic he fell to the ground on the side and curled up in a ball, a high-pitched ringing rumbling through his whole body.

 

Oh, wait, the sound was him.  He was screaming.

 

When he realized that, he stopped, and he felt strong arms lift him up.  The person holding him was speaking into a communicator that was attached to their collar.  “Yeah, Lance, I’ve got him. You should come down, he’s really fucked up.”

 

“ _What do you mean, fucked up!?  What the hell happened?”_

 

“I don’t know, dude!  I just got here.”

 

Now that the words were filtering through, Keith felt the relief of hearing Lance’s voice.  

 

Things were starting to make sense.  It was Hunk that had found him. He was still in the hangar bathroom.  Lance had been looking for him.

 

In fact, by time Hunk had lumbered over to the elevator out of the hangar, Lance was sprinting towards them.

 

At that exact moment Keith knew how pathetic he looked.  He had to be picked up and carried by a teammate. He couldn’t stand, couldn’t speak, and the second he saw Lance fresh tears fell down his face.

 

He felt both of their hearts stutter when they laid eyes upon the other.

 

“Keith,” Lance breathed, rushing forward and almost colliding with Hunk as he pulled Keith into his arms.  Lance was shaking like a leaf but was steady on his feet, so Keith leaned into him, took in his smell, and let his hands slide along Lance’s back trying to memorize every ridge and divot.

 

“Hey, Hunk, I’m going to take Keith up to my room.  Can you send one of the medics up when they are available?”

 

“No problem, buddy.  Message us if you need anything sooner,” Hunk said as he passed the two of them heading back towards the main part of the castle.

 

It was silent as Lance walked the halls of the castle.  Lance was never silent. Keith would give anything for Lance to make a snide remark, or a sarcastic joke, but instead Keith let himself be carried bridal style until they reached Lance’s room.

 

Or, as Keith learned the last time he visited, his room.  The one Lance had been squatting in.

 

Once the door was closed Lance laid Keith gently onto the bed.  However, instead of joining Keith and cuddling up to him, he stayed standing, hands curled into fists at his sides.

 

A few things clicked in Keith’s brain as he looked up at Lance for confirmation.  “You talked to Matt, then?”

 

Now Lance’s eyes closed as he took a deep, steadying breath.  Then he nodded ever so slightly.

 

“I’m sorry, I-”

 

Lance shouted then and cut Keith off, his own voice gravelly and brimming with pain.  “Do you know what gets me through battles like this?”

 

Keith felt himself shrink, because he had a feeling he did know.

 

“I get through battle after battle with Voltron, each usually as idiotic and impossible as the next, thinking about you.  When you were with us, I thought about how I wanted to keep you safe, and I would fight to my last breath. When you left, I thought about how I wanted to be able to come home to you.  I thought about how disappointed you would be if I was gone. Today I was picturing a fucking future together. I was picturing dogs, kids, the whole nine yards trying to keep myself from losing hope.  As it turns out, though, while I was planning our future you were planning to end it.”

 

Sitting up now, Keith tried to find the words to explain that it wasn’t that simple, that things were never that simple…

 

...and yet…

 

“I didn’t think of it like that,” Keith’s voice was small but it got Lance’s attention, who watched him with burning eyes, “I knew that if I didn’t do something you were going to die.  Not just you, either, a whole slew of good people would die. Surprisingly enough, Lance, not every decision I make surrounds you.”

 

The words were harsh, and they both leaned back at the sting.

 

“You’re right,” Lance deflated then, like he’d been waiting for Keith to confirm this, “I know, I know.  It’s just that when Matt told me all I could think about was that you were betraying that future with me.”

 

Keith swallowed, “What if I can’t give you that future?”

 

That comment made Lance stand up straight and stare at Keith with confusion and concern.  He sat down on the bed, taking Keith’s hand in his and kissing it tenderly.

 

“What do you mean?  If this is about being part of the Blade, then we can work around it.  Does it have to do with not wanting to return to earth? I know it would be hard for me but we can raise our kids somewhere else.  We’d just have to arrange to visit my family every once and awhile.”

 

The words made the teartracks that had been drying on Keith’s cheeks run anew.

 

“What is it?  Keith, I need you to talk to me.  You’re scaring me.”

 

It was now or never, right?  Keith knew that he’d opened the can of worms, and he knew that there was no going back.

 

“It’s about our plans for the future.  Lance, I was talking with a specialist,” his whole body had curled in on itself, leaning forward to rest his forehead on Lance’s shoulder so that he wouldn’t have to look him in the eyes for this, “It’s going to be almost impossible for me to get pregnant.”

 

There was an eerie silence in the room.  The vents in the walls kicked up to deliver fresh air.  Lance’s heartbeat was racing next to his own. They were in suspended animation, and he was waiting for Lance to respond.

 

What he didn’t expect was for Lance to start laughing.

 

“What the actual fuck, Lance!?” Keith shuffled away on the bed, frustration pooling in his gut.  “This is serious, you asshole!”

“Yeah, I know, you’re right,” Lance tried to school his features but giggles kept escaping him.

 

“Lance!!!!”

 

“I know it’s weird that I’m laughing but I was so terrified that you were breaking up with me or that you had a terminal illness or something.  If it’s just a fertility issue we can get through that. Adoption is always an option.”

 

Had he heard that right?

 

“Wait… you’re not mad?”

 

The humor on Lance’s face died at that comment, and he leaned forward and tilted Keith’s chin to meet his eyes with his forefinger.  

 

“I loved you before I knew about the baby thing, doofus.  I loved you because of you, not what you could give me,” the words were sharp bursts of wind airing out the fear in Keith’s mind, “We can get through this.  We’re a team, remember?”

 

Lance’s other hand settled gently on the pumping crystal against his chest, hand warm and comforting against his clammy skin.

 

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

 

Keith swallowed, starting to ease out of his defensive posture.  “I hadn’t even really processed it myself. That time that Shiro came to help me was when I talked to the specialist.  I know you were worried but I just couldn’t tell you yet. I wasn’t ready.”

 

There was a moment of calm quiet before Lance’s face shifted suddenly to something shocked and angry.

 

“Is that why you wanted to crash into the shield?”

 

The calm that they’d so carefully constructed around them crumbled as Keith got up, pacing around the room.  “How could you think that!? My decision had nothing to do with the baby thing or our future. I told you before that not everything is about you, or us!  I wanted to make the sacrifice for the _greater good_ and save thousands of lives!  It wasn’t some cry for help regarding my fertility issues!”

 

Lance was stunned on the bed, apparently very effectively shut down from Keith’s rant.

 

“Okay,” Lance said slowly, breathing labored as he managed to swallow all the information and maintain eye contact.  “Okay.”

 

They stared at each other from across the room, breathing heavily and doing their best not to break down.

 

The fight drained Keith of the last of his energy.  He had already been zapped before he was found in the bathroom, and with Lance’s accusations added into the mix, as well as the fertility problem, he felt himself swooning and hitting the ground hard.

 

Lance was on him in a second, carrying him back to the bed and doting over him.  Keith was stripped and bathed, then put in new, clean clothes that smelled like Lance.  Then Lance stood vigil by their bed as Keith fell asleep, dreaming about fiery explosions stealing his glory.

 

***

 

The next morning Keith saw that Lance was gone.  He sat up, his head pounding against his skull. He hadn’t eaten in forever, and he had never seen the medic.

 

In Lance’s pajamas he shuffled through the castle towards the med bay.  It was located just next to the healing pods. It was a temporary set up whenever Voltron had allies in a big battle. They set up to provide much needed medical treatment, usually directed by Coran.  

 

Inside was a muted chaos.

 

It was still the very early hours of the morning, due to the castle’s lighting system, and most everyone was asleep.  A few people had stumps instead of limbs and were being suspended by pulleys in odd directions. Some of the soldiers were off-color and frail looking with serious wounds bandaged up carefully.  There were a few that needed to be put on life-saving machines, some breathing for certain soldiers and others oddly surgically implanted into different parts of different bodies.

 

Keith knew that you couldn’t go into the healing pod until you were relatively stable.  He assumed that the people out here were either too severe or not severe enough to get the treatment.  They only had a limited number of pods.

 

There were assistant medics that were tip-toeing dutifully around the beds, checking vital signs and reading charts.  There was a small centralized office, and Keith quietly made his way over there.

 

On the trip over he caught sight of a few people standing vigil by bedsides.  Most of them were either asleep or staring blankly off into space. The occasional whisper cut through the silence, nothing more than white noise.

 

When he got to the center, a medic was already walking towards him.  She had what looked like sentient snakes for hair, and they were watching him curiously as he approached.

 

“Good morning, paladin.  What can we do for you?” she was using a customer service voice that immediately set Keith on edge.

 

“I’m not a paladin anymore.  Anyway, I just wanted to get checked over.  I went right to sleep after the battle.”

 

The medic clucked her tongue in disapproval.  “You need to take care of yourself, paladin. You can’t save the universe if you aren’t safe yourself.”

 

Keith had heard the metaphor before in so many different variations.  

 

_You can’t pour from an empty cup._

 

_On an airplane you have to fasten your own oxygen mask before you can attach anyone else’s._

 

_If all you do is give then you’ll be left with nothing for yourself._

 

The Blades weren’t necessarily fans of that philosophy.

 

Keith was led over to a small curtained area in the corner.  There were a few tiny examination areas, the other two occupied with people whispering quietly behind the dividers.

 

The medic asked Keith some perfunctory questions, the standard for any interplanetary medical professional.  What species are you? What pronouns do you prefer? Do you have any allergies? Do you take any medications?  Do you have any addictions? Are you pregnant or can ever become pregnant? When was the last time you consumed sustenance?  How many…

 

After a few of them he started zoning out.  The medic tapped her name tag then. It said _Zar Lac_.

 

“I’m going to go grab one of my compatriots with experience working with Galra hybrids.  There are so many different species in one place that it became necessary for us to decipher specializations.”

 

“That makes sense,” Keith commented coolly.

 

Zar Lac didn’t seem too put off by Keith’s dismissal as she turned around.  “Someone will be with you in a moment!”

 

Not ten minutes later someone was ducking into his room.  They were definitely part Galra, with their tall stature and cat-like ears.  However they were slimmer, their body more sinuous than bulky. Keith noticed when they walked in that they had their hand over their abdomen as they spoke.

 

“Ah, Keith Kogane.  One of the famous paladins of Voltron.  It’s an honor to meet you,” the medic held their hand out, “I’m Pynna.”

 

Taking their hand, Keith asked quietly, “Are you pregnant?”

 

Their eyes widened fractionally, and a hand fell back to their abdomen.  “Yes, actually. I’m due in two phoebs. I keep telling the little monster that he has excellent timing, deciding to come into existence at the height of the most important war in our lifetimes.”

 

Pynna didn’t look too upset, though.  If anything he would categorize them as “mildly frustrated”.

 

“Enough about me, though,” Pynna’s finger traced over Keith’s chart.  “I’m going to do a full work-up on you. To make this go quicker, I will just tell you what I’m doing as I do it.  If you want me to stop, you’ll have to say something as soon as you’re uncomfortable. You need to answer my questions as honestly and succinctly as possible.  Do you understand?”

 

“Yes,” Keith nodded, and Pynna’s face split into an endearing grin.  

 

Their hands were unnaturally warm compared to Keith’s body temperature, so they were actually quite soothing as they roamed over Keith’s body checking for strains, fractures, and bruising.

 

They determined that there weren’t any immediately pressing issues on his appendages before quickly starting to massage their fingers into the spongy material on Keith’s abdomen.  Their fingers poked and prodded, trying to feel out for abnormalities or damage. A needle was inserted into Keith’s arm to draw blood. After that was done Pynna performed some cognitive exams, and finally the psych exam.

 

Keith was least excited for this one.

 

It wasn’t anything too probing, but Pynna reviewed the dangers of PTSD and survivor’s guilt.  They handed Keith an informational pamphlet on the best treatments for common wartime mental illnesses.

 

“Alright, I’ll be submitting this report to our system, but I’ll print out a copy for you.  The blood will be analyzed and sent to your communicator once the results are received. The only comment I had was that you seemed to be a little slow on cognition.  You likely have a mild concussion, so try to avoid staring at screens for extended periods of time or taxing your brain more than necessary. Also you had some serious bruising, so treat that with alternating heat and cold.”

 

Grabbing the paper, Keith hopped off the examination table and was out the door.

 

***

 

When Keith tracked Lance down, the paladin was busy cheering up a bunch of refugee children.  He had a few hanging off of him, and most of them gathered around his chair on the floor, watching him in wonder as he described clouds to them.

 

Apparently not all planets had clouds.  To the group of star-struck children Lance was explaining something akin to a mythical event.  It’s amazing how one person just sees water condensed in the sky, and another species sees magic.

 

Keith leaned against the wall a little ways away, watching Lance with the children.  He was laughing and joking and making obnoxious hand gestures to get his point across.

 

All Keith could think for a second was _hey, look at that dork.  He’s MY dork._

 

Eventually Keith pulled himself out of his reverie and came up behind Lance, tapping him on the shoulder gently.

 

“Lance, can I borrow you?” he asked quietly, and one of the kids stood up, holding a cardboard sword in Keith’s direction.

 

“No, he’s our Dragon King!  You can’t take him away yet!”

 

That was proven false when Lance stood and tickled the little kids closest on his way up.  “Dragon King has to go talk to his boyfriend for a little bit. Why don’t you go bother Coran?  He’s the one with the orange hair and mustache. He loves telling stories.”

 

As the group of kids cheered and started rushing out of the sitting area, Keith said softly, “Poor Coran.  You sent the horde after him.”

 

Lance rolled his eyes dramatically.  “Coran loves telling stories. This will make his whole day, I guarantee it!”

 

They were plunged into silence for a second before Lance’s hand shot out and took Keith’s.  He gently turned the rough palm over in his, and then brought it to his lips to kiss the sensitive skin of his wrist.

 

“I owe you an apology,” Lance said then with eyes downcast.  “You told me something really huge last night and I couldn’t get my head out of own ass long enough to make sure that you were okay.”

 

No, no, no!  Keith didn’t need Lance to get all emotional on him.  If Lance got emotional, then Keith would get emotional.  Keith needed Lance to keep it together, damnit, for both of their sakes!

 

“Stop,” Keith whispered, but the request was either too quiet or too feeble because Lance ignored it.

 

“I can’t even imagine what it must be like to be you right now.  This whole thing has to have been incredibly painful, and I wasn’t there for you.  I should have been there for you.”

 

Keith was worried that Lance was yelling at Keith for a second, before the shorter man realized that Lance was chastising himself for not noticing.

 

“Lance, this isn’t your fault.  I didn’t give you any reason to suspect that there was something…”

 

“...you did, though!” Lance’s voice grew a bit frantic, but he tried to breathe himself through it, “You did.  You were having difficult days and there were moments that you were struggling and I could have pushed or supported you better and I didn’t and I’m so sorry.  I failed you.”

 

Of all the reactions that Keith thought Lance would have, it wasn’t this.  It left Keith vastly unprepared.

 

“It’s okay, Lance.  I love you,” his voice was tentative as he reached a hand out and sifted through Lance’s hair thoughtfully.  

 

“How have you been handling it?”

 

_Handling it._  He’d been avoiding handling it at all costs and had yet to discuss the topic with anyone but Shiro.

 

“I haven’t,” Keith answered honestly, feeling his breath start to catch.  “That’s the thing. I haven’t.”

 

“Oh, Keith,” Lance’s face fell and he pulled Keith into a hug, tight and unforgiving.  Keith ignored the aching in his hips and back and hugged Lance back tighter, feeling his hands start to shake.  Lance’s fingers were delicately dancing across Keith’s spine, sending shivers down his body.

 

“I always imagined our future, too.  Every time my life is on the line I think about you, and the family that I’ve found out here in space.  I also think about us, and our kids. I didn’t even realize I wanted kids until I met you. When I was with you, suddenly the idea of raising a family wasn’t weird or gross- it was exciting.”

 

Lance pulled away a little to watch the blank stare that Keith was using to try to keep his emotions in check.

 

“I was thinking about that future.  Everything in me wanted me to survive, but I knew what I needed to do.  Sure I want to be your boyfriend and eventually a father, but that role shouldn’t be more important than the lives of others.  I’m a defender of the universe before all else.”

 

At that Lance’s face melted into tender affection, and he pressed a kiss to Keith’s forehead.  “I know, love.”

 

The response was simultaneously telling and secretive.

 

On one hand, Lance was admitting that he knew that their relationship came second to the state of the universe.

 

On the other hand, Lance never said that he felt the same way or had the same priorities.

 

“Lance?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“If you had to choose between saving a hundred lives and saving mine, which would you choose?”

 

Lance pouted.  “That’s not fair, you should have to answer first.”

 

“Nuh-uh,” Keith protested, furrowing his brow, “I already chose to save the many!”

“Yeah, when you were choosing between the hundreds of lives and your own life.  How about if it were your choice, and the options were the hundreds of lives versus me?”

 

Keith opened his mouth and then quickly closed it, realizing that Lance had a point.

 

“I would choose you,” Keith admitted coldly.

 

“Now imagine that feeling, and apply it to how I feel right now.  Are you starting to understand?”

 

The realization was dawning on him, making his knees weak and his throat dry.  What if Lance did the same thing? Wouldn’t he be furious? Wouldn’t he be out for blood?  Keith would never let Lance out of his sight ever again if he could have his way.

 

“Oh.”

 

Lance deflated.  “Yeah, oh. I don’t blame you for your choice, though.  I understand.”

 

Keith crossed his arms defensively.  Even after him and Lance had been together through so much, the sharpshooter continued to surprise him.

 

When Lance took a step towards him, Keith shook a bit but let Lance’s arms envelop him after a moment.

 

Not too long after that the two of them were up in their bedroom on the castle, and Lance was straddling Keith, looking down at him with all the tenderness in the world.  In moments like this Keith forgot about everything else. Those blue eyes were hypnotic, and those parted lips were delicious.

 

Keith leaned forward to taste, but Lance shook his head and pressed him gently back onto the bed.

 

“No, I want you to stay still.  Can you do that for me?”

 

Uncertainty filled Keith up, but he reminded himself that he trusted Lance.  The man above him loved him unconditionally. So with that in mind, Keith nodded in assent.

 

Keith let Lance take off the clothes he had put him in the night before.  Keith shivered when Lance stared down at his bruised naked body.

 

When Lance placed the first feather-light kiss against his collarbone, Keith’s breath caught.  Even though his heart was hammering in his rib cage, the heartbeat from Lance was steady, a soothing rhythm against his chest. 

 

“You,” Lance whispered against Keith’s skin, pressing another kiss to Keith’s shoulder this time, “are perfect,” the words were pressed lovingly into Keith’s skin.  He didn’t realize being touched this way was so… unnerving.

 

It was making pleasant spirals dance across his skin from wherever Lance’s lips fell.

 

The lips trailed down Keith’s left arm, and he shivered when Lance pressed a tender kiss to his inner elbow.

 

“I am so grateful,” Lance kissed each fingertip, “that,” palm, “you’re alive.”

 

The movements were unpredictable.  On the right arm Lance pressed the kisses to the knuckles and his forearm, then adorned his neck before gliding smoothly down Keith’s bruised chest.  He took extra care at the edges of the bruises, the kisses as light as butterfly wings against his skin.

 

“Each and every part of you,” Lance continued, coming up and pulling Keith’s leg over his shoulder, “is beautiful.”

 

The next kiss was to Keith’s ankle bone, then to the sensitive skin on his lower leg.  

 

“I would never think anything less of you,” Lance paused at his knee, like he was catching himself thinking something and needed to take a breath.  The words were hot as they vibrated into Keith’s skin, “I need to trust you more. I’m going to work on that. I want to be better for you.”

 

Hot tears had started sliding down the sides of Keith’s face, gathering just below his ears but he didn’t dare to move.

 

Lance started to venture higher, and Keith shuddered as the kisses started pressing against the sensitive skin of his inner thigh, until Lance was hovering just above Keith’s partially aroused cock.

 

There was something serious in Lance’s eyes, though, that made him come up for a second so that he was caging Keith in from above.  The amount that Keith was exposed became urgently clear. Lance was fully clothed and had so much control of Keith that it made him shudder with a combination of fear and adoration.

 

When Lance spoke, it was wrought with confident determination.  “I love you. Nothing you tell me can make me love you any less, make me love _us_ any less.  I will love us if we have kids.  I will love us if we raise dogs and become farmers instead.  I will love us if we spend the rest of our lives traveling the universe.  No matter where we are in ten years, twenty years, fifty years, I will still love you just as much, Keith Kogane.”

 

Keith tried to hold it in, he really did, but the broken sob spluttered out anyway, and he was soon being held and pressed against every part of his body.  Lance was nestled with his cheek pressed against Keith’s heart, and the necklace he was wearing became superfluous in the moment.

 

“Shh, baby, it’s okay,” Lance’s hands ran up and down Keith’s sides rhythmically, “I’m right here.  I’m not going anywhere.”

 

Keith wondered what insane part of him had thought that Lance had filled in all his nooks and crannies and cracks.  It simply wasn’t true. At least, it wasn’t entirely true.

 

The love between them wasn’t patchwork over blemishes the way Keith had imagined it.  No, it was a humming and vibrant life that turned the people that they had once been into something far greater than they ever could have accomplished alone.

 

They were an overlapping venn diagram of commitment and love and a future, too.

 

Whatever that future might bring, Keith had no doubt that they’d make it through.

 

When their lips came together, it was like coming home.  Keith finally admitted everything to Lance, and his relief was evident in how his muscles loosened and his body sagged.

 

Their kisses turned more heated, and Lance trailed his kisses down lower again, licking a stripe up Keith's cock and then diving down to suck it enthusiastically.  Keith's hand tangled into Lance's hair, his breath hitching at the careful attention.

 

When Keith had come, Lance manhandled him onto his stomach, working a finger into Keith and finding that he was already slick and waiting.  Lance sighed happily and worked a second finger in, continuing slowly and breathlessly with kisses continually showered over Keith's skin.  He was putty in Lance's hands, ready and willing to do whatever Lance wanted him to do.  He'd handed over the scary information to Lance, and Lance hadn't rejected him.  Their love had only strengthened from it.

 

Lance kissed Keith's back between his shoulder blades twice before asking, "Keith, do you want me to use a condom?"

 

The thought was paralyzing or a second.  He should say yes.  He should definitely say yes.  He should most definitely say yes.

 

"No," Keith breathed, pressing back farther towards Lance's erect cock bobbing behind him, "I want to feel you."

 

Groaning, Lance slid in.

 

Sometimes fucking for them was desperate.  Sometimes it was slow and sensual.  Sometimes it was sexy as fuck, but...

 

...sometimes it was just coming home.  It was two bodies making music together.  It was a symphony of emotions that were felt through two hearts at the same time.  Lance was curled against Keith, fucking into him slowly, not wanting to desperate too far for fear that he would disappear on him.  Keith knew the feeling.  His hands were scrabbling to get purchase on Lance's body to keep him there, to keep them connected for as long as possible.

 

As the warmth of Lance's come filled Keith up, he sank happily against his lover, purring contentedly as his own orgasm crested in him like the crackle of a fire on a winter night.  Lance chuckled and kissed his neck as they held each other close, refusing to separate despite the fact that Lance was slowly softening inside of Keith, and Keith was kind of a mess.

 

Their necklaces hummed in unison and glowed, as if their hearts were beating as one.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> As always, comments are the best way to let me know if you enjoyed the material! If you want more of this universe, I'll probably write it anyway, but encouragement is always appreciated!
> 
> If you like this, check out my other fics! 
> 
> I actually have two ongoing fics?! "Leftover Lovesongs" is a few years post-canon Klance, and "Blood Jumps In The Sun" is a Los Angeles AU where Lance and his girlfriend invite a guy to have a threesome with them. That guy is Keith. Antics ensue. Cancer is cured. Hunk gets hitched. THE WORLD ENDS
> 
> ... yeah I'm on something right now. I don't know what, exactly, all I've had the last few hours is organic mac-and-cheese and angry water (La Croix), so *shrugs*...


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